The present invention relates to household refrigerators and particularly to a refrigerator cabinet having a secondary food storage arrangement therein.
In producing household refrigerators there is an increasing need to provide food storage cabinets in which food products of various types, shapes and sizes relative to one another may have a proper place of storage therein without materially increasing the size of the food compartment in a cabinet and without unduly sacrificing a part of the storage area or shelf supporting surface within a compartment of predetermined size.
In some prior art attempts of providing storage arrangements for leftover or foods of various types and shapes such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,668,423, a single container is arranged in the food compartment of the refrigerator wherein the foods are placed. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,983 a unitary shelf and food storage pan support structure is disclosed which is supported on cantilevered shelf brackets. The food storage pan is slidably arranged on the brackets beneath the shelf which is supported on the brackets.
The practice of providing a storage container within a refrigerator cabinet which is slidably mounted beneath a shelf is generally an accepted practice in the household refrigerator industry. Typically when provided these storage containers are intended for bulk storage of a variety of foods. These attempts in providing a food container wherein several types or a variety of foods may be stored is sometimes inconvenient and may result in excessive handling of the stored food. In addition to the excessive handling caused in part by the process of selecting a specific food, the food retrieved must then be placed in another container or vessel where it is to be cooked and/or served.
When a secondary storage system is provided for leftover food it is desirable that it accommodate foods of varying types and sizes. It is further desirable that a plurality of individually retrievable containers be provided so that selected leftover foods may be stored separately, and further that the containers be formed of a material which allows transfer of the selected food container from the refrigerator compartment directly to a cooking appliance or table for serving without transfer of food from the storage container.